Mark Cuban has expressed admiration for Elon Musk but voiced concerns over his approach to free speech on X, previously known as Twitter. During a discussion on the All-In Podcast, Cuban shared his views on Musk’s management style.
What Happened: While acknowledging Musk’s entrepreneurial prowess, Cuban criticized Musk’s behavior on X, labeling him a “troll” who engages in trolling for its own sake. Cuban believes Musk’s stance on free speech is influenced by a fear of losing users, especially those within the conservative community.
Cuban argued that while he supports free speech, the association with hate speech and inappropriate content poses a problem for advertisers.
“When you talk about free speech, free speech applies to advertisers as well. They get to associate with whoever they want to, no matter what. So there are repercussions,” Cuban explained.
Cuban emphasized that the presence of harmful content on X could deter advertisers, impacting the platform’s financial viability. He also highlighted the issue of explicit content accessible to young users on X, which further complicates the platform’s appeal to advertisers. Cuban concluded that while free speech is important, the financial implications for X cannot be ignored.
“Advertisers…they don’t want to be associated with that.”
Why It Matters: The ongoing dialogue between Cuban and Musk is not new. In the same podcast, Cuban offered to help Musk boost X’s revenue, expressing concern over declining user numbers.
Previously, Cuban criticized Musk for manipulating “truths” on X, accusing him of creating chaos regarding factual information.
Cuban and Musk have been taking jabs at each other on various topics ranging from diversity, equity and inclusion to supporting different candidates. In an earlier interview, Cuban shared his thoughts on Musk and his relationship with Donald Trump. Cuban said, "Elon's one smart guy right and I know he believes he's much smarter than Donald Trump. You can tell there were times particularly as they talked about the environment and nuclear, and DEI… I could just see Elon rolling his eyes at that time."
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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